an instrument for measuring height above a given reference level, as the sea or ground: in aircraft it is either an aneroid barometer with a dial marked in feet or meters or an instrument using radar
Origin:
alti- + -meter
See altimeter in American Heritage Dictionary 4
noun
An instrument for determining elevation, especially an aneroid barometer used in aircraft that senses pressure changes accompanying changes in altitude.
Origin:
Origin: Latin altus, high; see al-2 in Indo-European roots